Splice bar



y 1939- K. c. JOHNSON ET AL 2,160,310

SPLICE BAR Filed July 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 an and INVENTORS A TTORNE May 30, 1939. I 'K, c. JOHNZISOIN ET AL I 2,160,310

SPLICE BAR Filed July 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,6 vyszvroas W 1/ I By I 2:5 P/ w ATTORNEK,

Patented May 30, 1939 UNITED STATES want FATE OFFIQE SPLICE BAR Application July 22, 1937, Serial No. 154,960

3 Claims.

This invention relates to splice-bars and more in particular to splice-bars for track-rails of symmetrical cross-section, such as used on railroad tracks.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a splice-bar for railroad tracks whereby the gap or clearance usually provided between rail ends which are joined together by means of the splice-bars may be reduced to practically one-half of the gap now used to take care of the expansion of the rails in hot weather, thereby affording a substantially noiseless passage of the wheels of a train over the rail-joints, at any speed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rail-joint which is considerably stronger and more rigid against downward deflection due to the weight of the passing train than rail-joints of conventional design; which greatly reduces the stresses imparted on the bolts of the rail-joint, due to sagging of the rails, and which joint may be effected with ease and rapidity.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of a new type of splice-bars especially adapted to repair worn out rail-ends, without requiring the substitution of entirely new rails.

Additional features and advantages of this invention will appear in the course of the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this application.

In the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the interior face of the so-called female splice-bar of the rail-joint.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the mail splice-bar.

. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the female splice-bar, taken substantially on line 3-4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of the male splice-bar, taken on line 44 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing two opposed rail-ends suitably shaped for the application of our new splice-bars.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of an assembled railjoint.

Fig. 7 is a cross-section through an assembled rail-joint, taken on line 'l1 in Figs. 6 and 9.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a rail-joint using a modified form of splice-bars.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the interior face of the female splice-bar used in the modified construction.

Fig. 11 is a similar view showing the modified male splice-bar.

Reference being had in particular to Figs. 1 and 3, the female splice-bar comprises the head I the web 2 and the flange 3. The contour of the head conforms in general with that of the head of the track-rail R, shown in dotted lines, for

' which the splice-bar is designed; but has cut or formed on its outer side an intermediate longitudinal groove 5, preferably with outwardly slightly flaring sides, producing the upper lip 6 and the lower and shorter lip I. This head projects laterally of the web 2; its ends are cut at right angles to the rail and it is defined at the bottom by the straight shoulder 8 adapted to rest on the web of the rail R, as will be described hereinafter.

The web of the female splice-bar extends symmetrically beyond both ends of the head I, as at 4, and its outer face 9 is made substantially flush with the inner face of the head, whereas its inner face which is opposite the web of the rail is preferably concaved at the middle, as shown at Ill.

The upper end II, positioned directly underneath the head I, is made flat and at right angles to the shoulder 8, whereas those parts of the web which protrude beyond the ends of the head are extended upwardly to produce the rounded corner I2 and the bevelled flat I3 suitably inclined to conform to the bevel of the underside of the head of the track-rail R to support same.

The flange 3 of the female splice-bar is sloped downwardly in conformity with the taper of the rail-fiange and is connected inwardly to the web 2 by a curved heel M, while its outer end is downwardly bent, as at I5, to rest upon the tieplate P, shown in dotted lines.

The male splice-bar comprises the tongue I 6, suitably shaped to fit closely within the headgroove 5, the web IT and the flange I8, both latter parts being shaped and extended substantially like those of the female splice-bar, since they must conform to the outer side of the symmetrical track-rails.

As suggested in Fig. 3, the rails and splice-bars are so assembled that the flanges F of the trainwheels W will face the inner, or solid, side of the head of the female splice-bar, thus practically relieving the grooved outer side of said head of any heavy load or wear due to the passage of the train-wheels, and whereby the tongue and groove will be protected against mutilation and will always fit together.

It will be noted in Figs. 3, 4 and 7 that the radii of the curves l2 and M are made greater than the radii of the fillets which connect the web of the track rails to the heads and flanges thereof,

thus providing a slight clearance and limiting the actual contacts between the splice-bars and rails to the flat and more accurately rolled parts thereof.

The modified construction differs from the one above described'only in that both ends of the head portions of the splice-bars are cut at an oblique angle to the track-rails, instead of normal thereto. Preferably, these ends are cut with outwardly converging sides so that the thrust by the wheel-flanges F will tend to somewhat reduce the gap between the heads of the splice-bars and rails, thus promoting noiselessness in travel.

The principal reason for cutting the headportions obliquely is, of course, to reduce the noise and shocks caused by the wheels as they pass over the gaps, this passage being rather gradual instead of sudden as is the case with gaps placed at right angles to the direction of travel.

It will be noted that by the use of our splicebars the gaps between the head portions of the rails and splice-bars are distributed at two points and, therefore, need only be one-half as wide as the gaps usually provided for track expansion in conventional installations. It is of course understood that the bolt holes t9-and 2i! provided respectively in the splice-bars and rails are made sufiiciently larger than the diameter of the clamping-bolts 2| to'allow for the expansion or contraction of the rails without causing shearing stresses in the bolts;

Before applying our splice-bars to join various rails, the ends of the latter must first be shaped as shown in Fig. 5 in particular. That is to say, the head portions of the rails are removed at each end thereof a sufficient amount to freely receive the head portions of the splice-bars. This removal may be performed in any desired and. suitable manner, such as by sawing, milling or, preferably by means of cutting torches, and is usually carried down to the point where the web of the rail reaches its normal thickness, as at a Figs. 3, 4, 5 and '7. If necessary, the cut surfaces 8 may be ground or filed to a finer finish in order to insure a uniform contact surface between same and the flat bottoms 8 of the splice-bar heads I. At the same time, the cut ends of the rail-heads may also be finished to eliminate all burrs or asperities to insure a practically noiseless passage of the train-wheels.

The rails having been made ready for the reception of the splice-bars, the latter are now applied on their corresponding sides of the rails and clamped rigidly together by means of the bolts 2|. It will be seen, especially in Fig. 7, that the splice-bars, when clamped together, produce a beam of substantially U-shaped crosssection having a great moment of inertia affording a great resistance against flexing of the whole joint in a vertical plane, while a train is passing over them. This not only promotes safe travel at high speeds, but also efllciently protects the bolts against shearing strains in a vertical direction.

The rigidity of the joints is further enhanced by the longitudinal extensions 4 of the splice-bars which are solidly wedged by the bolts between the heads and flanges of the track-rails in a manner that will be readily appreciated by persons versed in this art.

The splice-bars, together with the tie-plates P are secured to the wooden track-ties T by means of spikes S; suitable slots 22 in the flanges of the splice-bars and apertures 23 in the tieplates P being provided therefor.

As will be understood, as suggested herein, there may be changes made in the construction and arrangement of the details of this invention without departing from the field and scope of the same, and it is intended to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in this application in which the preferred forms only have been disclosed.

We claim:

1. In a joint for track-rails having their head portions cut away in the region of the rail ends, a female splice-bar comprising a flange and a web shaped to engage corresponding parts on one side of the rails, and an integral head portion having the contour of the head of the rails to replace the cut away portions thereof and provided at the lateral side with an outwardly flaring longitudinal groove the median plane of which is parallel with the head portion of the rails; the male splice-bar comprising a flange and a webshaped to engage corresponding parts on the other side of the rails; a tapered tongue on said web longitudinally slidable and fitting within said. groove, and means to clamp said splice-bars and rails together.

2. In a joint for track-rails having their head portions cut away in the region of the rail ends, a female splice-bar comprising a flange and a web shaped to engage corresponding parts on one side of the rails, and an integral head portion having the contour of the head of the rails to replace the cut away portions thereof and provided at the lateral side with an outwardly flaring longitudinal groove the median plane of which coincides substantially with that of said head portion andis parallel thereto; the male splice-bar comprising a flange and a web shaped to engage corresponding parts on the other side of the rails; a tapered tongueon said web longitudinally slidable and fitting within said groove, and means'to detachably clamp said splice-bars and rails together.

3. In a joint for track-rails having their head portion cutaway in the region of the rail ends, a female splice-bar comprising a flange and a web shaped to engage corresponding parts on one side of the rails, and an integral head portion. having the contour of the head of the rails to replace the cut away portions thereof and provided at the lateral side with an outwardly flaring longitudinal groove the median plane of which coincides substantially with that of said head portion and is parallel thereto; the male splice-bar comprising a flange and a web shaped to engage corresponding parts on the othter side of the rails; a tapered tongue on said web longitudinally slidable and fitting within said groove; the upper portions of said female and male splice-bars when in assembled condition being substantially in the same vertical plane as the corresponding side of the head of said rails.

KEITH C. JOHNSON. ROBERT C. DUNSMORE. 

